Abstract : A review and analysis of available information concerning the phenomenon of vortex separation on lifting bodies leads to the following conclusions: (1) the flow over a lifting threedimensional body is analogous to a time-varying two-dimensional flow; (2) satisfactory methods are available for computing the timevarying separated flow about an impulsively started cylinder provided the angular vortex separation points are known; (3) the vortex separation points are determined primarily by the stability of the nonviscous flow; and (4) for practical calculations, the location of vortex separation may be assumed constant in time, and hence the steady-state values may be used. (Author)